Ticket Avoidance

Getting tickets sucks. The following info will help. Use it at your own risk, and follow the laws of the state you reside in.

I will first attempt to explain what exactly radar is, and how it works.

Police radar units transmit a series of radar pulses and calculate your speed based on how long it takes two consecutive pulses to reach the radar gun after being reflected off your car. Think of radar as a beam of light from a flashlight. When you shine a flashlight at an object, your eyes perceive the light reflected from the object.

Now picture yourself as the object being illuminated. You can see the light from the flashlight from a farther distance than the person with the flashlight could ever hope to see. This is because the beam loses energy over distance. So while the beam can reach you, it does not have enough energy to travel back to the source.

What does this have to do with radar guns you ask? EVERYTHING! If you equip yourself with a top rated radar detector, you will have the edge.

Types of Radar
X BAND This is the oldest type of radar used. It operates on a very low frequency (10.5-10.55GHZ). X band is no longer used in a lot of places due to it’s poor accuracy readings. However, many small towns still equip themselves with these guns. You can pick up the X band from about 2 to 4 miles. Be aware, some officers will manually turn on/off their X band gun.

K BAND The most common type of police radar is K band. When they were first introduced they could only be used from a stationary position (like laser is now). Later, a "pulsed" version (instant on) was introduced that could be used from a moving vehicle. K band waves can be detected from 1/4 mile to 2 miles.

K band also use what is known as "instant-on". Instant on is used to trick radar detectors. Basically the gun is put in hot zone ready to be activated by the officer. It does not emit signals constantly. Beware, your radar detector will go off at full strength when hit with NO WARNING! It is very hard to avoid instant on. The only way you can avoid instant on is if someone in front of you gets hit first, or you run an active radar jammer.

KA wideband and KA PHOTO KA band introduces yet another enemy in our high performance world. Not only is it a higher frequency operating gun,it also can use photo radar with the KA band frequencey. What this means is that a vehicle approaching at or above a predetermined speed will trigger the camera. The photo will show the front of the vehicle,license plate, driver’s face, the date, location, and time. These cameras can take pictures up to 200mph. So don’t think you can fly by with your fingers crossed. However, there is a way to get around this one. I will get to it later.

KA PHOTO cameras are also present at stop lights. So next time you go through a red light in Virginia, say "cheese."

KA super wideband The introduction of the "stalker" gun raised the stakes in the detection game. Unlike all previous guns, the Stalker was adjustable from 33.4 GHz to 36.0 GHz. What this means is that a radar detector assigned for X,K,and photo radar will not detect the signal. Not to worry, radar detector companies have countered this with detectors capable of picking up all radar signals. But beware,instant on still exists with any K, KA wide, or KA super-wide band gun.

LIDAR LIDAR(laser) is the newest to the game. The advantages of LIDAR are compelling. The laser light beam is far narrower than a radar beam,allowing more accurate readings for you know who(harder to argue in court now!). The time needed to get an accurate reading is half a second, compared to 2 to 3 seconds for radar.

Laser is detectable, don’t let any fool tell you otherwise. It also has it’s drawbacks. These guns are very expensive. You’ll notice larger police agencies will not have these. Also, the laser gun can only be used one way. The officer has to be stationary on a tripod or steady hand, and they cannot be used behind glass. Theres only one way to defeat laser. Laser jammer!(see below) L2. L2 is supposed to be a new kind of LIDAR(laser) used. On new Uniden detectors, they state they are capable of picking it up. I have talked to a tech at WHISTLER. He told me they are more fiction than fact right now. So don’t worry.

Your radar/laser detector will usually alert you to an X band presence from a good distance away. You can actually watch the bars on your detector slowly increase as you get closer to the officer. I think you know now why X band is not the preferred method for officers. However, there have been some occasions where X band has just suddenly popped up on my detector with all bars lit up. This is probably the result of the officer manually turning on the detector when he sees me coming.

K band is a little trickier to pick up. Usually when your detector reacts to K band, you have about 10-15 seconds to react (situations may vary if instant on being used and distance of officer).

KA band on the other hand is different. If your detector senses a few bars KA band, hit the brakes immediatley. You have approximately 3 seconds to react (yes I’ve timed it) before you are the direct target of the radar. 98% of the time, KA will hit you "out of the blue" with no warning. If you do get a warning, it is possibly the result of the officer obtaining the speed of a nearby vehicle.

There have been some occasions where I will pick up 2 to 3 bars of KA band and the detector will be silent for a few minutes. But after that, usually I get a direct hit.

KA photo radar: If any of you regularily drive through tolls, I’m sure you’ve noticed the cameras aimed at the vehicles in case you run the tolls. These are similar to the cameras located on several stoplights around the nation. Their goal: to take a picture of your license plate if you go through a red light. Also, ever see those big signs on the side of the road that display your current speed? I wouldn’t speed past them if I were you anymore for laughs! Many are equipped with photo radar and will take a snap shot of your license plate as you "speed" past.

99% of the time, the cameras are at an angle. There is a product called The Protector (http://www.jamradar.com/protector.htm) that fits over your front and rear license plates. It is clear when you look at it dead on. As soon as it detects flash, it illuminates. The result: A picture so bright, it is not visible . You see the outline of the plate, but not the numbers.

Laser Basically when you’re hit with laser, you’re hit. The cop will usually hit you within a 1/4 mile range or less. Theres nothing you can do….unless you get an ACTIVE laser jammer. Only a few brands work. One is called Laser Echo. The other is by K40. Laser can only be used stationary(for now). And to get an accurate reading, the officer has to aim at the front bottom end of your vehicle (near front license plate). They will never shoot while you’re moving away. It will not be accurate if they do. (This making the laser 360 degree protection radar detector theory crumble) . Most laser guns require the operator to be outside of the vehicle as well, due to the bending of the laser from the windshield.

Fortunately for us, laser is very expensive. So most metropolitan or huge police forces will not be equipped with them. Lately I have noticed a trend in "small town" police agencies acquiring laser guns. My guess is because they rely on tickets to fund them. Good investment I guess. It is not uncommon for small police forces to take in half a million dollars from traffic violations a year!

Last but not least is VG-2. In states where radar detectors are illegal, the police departments use VG-2 guns to detect vehicles operating with radar detectors. VG-2 detects a detector’s oscillator leakage. Not only will he get you for a possible speeding violation, he will also give you a ticket for operating the detector, and another ticket for having it in your possession. From there he can search your vehicle and even take the radar detector.

Readers have even reported that one officer took the detector off the defendants dash,damaged the detector,then returned it to the owner! Many manufacturers now offer radar detectors which are shielded from VG-2 or detect VG-2 and shut down when they encounter it. However, it is not 100% protection (more like 80%). Not only that, if the officer visually sees your detector,he has the right to confiscate it. There has been a lot of speculation regarding the effectiveness of VG-2 detectors, but there is some hope. The company K-40 has developed a very intelligent design. The radar detector is "hidden" inside of your car and alerts you of police presence through your existing dash lights! It is virtually impossible to spot by the police.

Jammers: I’ll be honest. Most jammers DO NOT WORK. Rocky mountain radar’s "phantom"(not to be confused with phantom rcd active jammer) all in one radar/laser jammer made these claims, only to be later embarassed when big automobile magazines began testing their products. Every test conducted on the "phantom" resulted in zero jamming. What does this mean? This means it is a very expensive piece of crap. It does not work because it is a passive jammer.

Active jammers however, do work. Active jammers constantly emit signals, it is not act/react like passive. But active radar jammers are illegal because the FCC has found that they interfere with aircraft radar. But active laser jammers are legal and fully FCC approved. Be aware though, to get a quality radar jammer, be prepared to lay down some hard cash ($600-$2000). Laser jammers usually run from $250-$800. If you add up ticket fines and insurance rates (not to mention the possibility of having your car impounded), those dollar signs won’t seem so big. http://www.1-radar-laser-jammers-detectors.com/radar-laser-jammers.html has some of the best jammers around.

Heres some general knowledge on how ACTIVE laser jammers work. The 30,000 laser guns being used by law enforcement in the U.S. all operate on the frequency of 904 nanometers and travel at 186,000 miles per second. They use a small invisible beam of light to target moving vehicles.

Each emitted pulse is timed leaving the laser gun and again when it returns. The difference is displayed as miles per hour. The active jammers boost 904 nanometers, the frequency used by police laser guns. It does not interfere with radio waves or any devices regulated by the FCC. As such, there are no federal laws regulating its use. It works by constantly emitting 904 nanometers, the same frequency as the laser gun. Which makes it an ACTIVE JAMMER. To work properly, laser gun manufacturers recommend an angle of 10 degrees off center of the target. Usually, this is a straight shot to the front or rear of the moving target.(which is why laser jammers are located in the front of the vehicle)

Which detectors to buy
Valentine One
Whistler 1580 (1670,1490)
Those are the ones I am POSITIVE are excellent. You may want to check out www.deja.com to see consumer reviews on other detectors.

Where to mount detectors
Definitely mount the detector where it will not obscure your vision. The best place is on the dash pad (providing you don’t have a hood scoop to block it), or the lower part of the windshield. There are several reasons to have it mounted low. One reason (being the most important), is so you can view the amount of bars illuminated on the detector. The other reason: So you can identify exactly WHAT it is you are being hit with!

False Alarms
As you get used to your new radar detector, you will be able to distinguish "false" alert from "real" alert in certain areas. A lot of businesses use secuirty alarms that operate on X band..some even on K band. Actually, most of the time you get an "X" band alert it will be false. This is where "city" mode comes in handy on your detector. But always remember, there are a few smart cops out there that will hide in a "false" territory area. That way, when you pick up an alert, you will think it is false…..when really it is the cop using reverse psychology!

KA band has NEVER falsed on me. Everytime I have been alerted with KA band, it has been a police officer. Be aware of this.

Laser detectors can false from the sunlight. The sun gives off ultraviolet rays right? Here’s the definition of "laser": a device that utilizes the natural oscillations of atoms or molecules between energy levels for generating coherent electromagnetic radiation usually in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared regions of the spectrum"

Fighting the ticket in court
Of course sometimes no detector is enough (another reason to buy a jammer) , and you end up with a ticket. There are still ways to fight it. For instance, if he clocked you while you were near or passing a truck…….he would of clocked the truck. Radar always picks up the LARGER object first. Now here is the most useful data of this whole article: Police radar guns have a volume on them that is rarely used. In fact a lot of officers are not even trained with it. But, what 99% of them don’t know is that the volume is needed for an accurate reading. A solid beep will emit from the radar gun when it is aiming at 1 target. When the gun is aiming at more than one moving target it will make a static noise (similar to a faint radio broadcast). So if the cop shot the radar gun at you in traffic, how does he KNOW he got you and not someone else?

Don’t even try to fight laser 🙂

Other random notes:
Radar/laser is not the only ways cops can catch you speeding. They also use something called "pacing." This is where they will follow you in their cruiser. They judge YOUR speed by what their speedometer is saying. So always check your rearview!

Another way, VASCAR. This is where they are in a chopper and mark 2 points (A and B). They measure the amount of time it takes you to cross from point A to B. If you do it quicker than the threshold, your history.